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Add or replace a hard drive

If the hard drive (HDD) in the recorder is malfunctioning, or you need more storage capacity, you can replace it with a new one. You can also add a second, third, or even more drives for expanded storage, depending on the type of recorder.

Available slots by recorder type

  • 4-channel recorder: 1 slot (pre-installed: 1 × 1000 GB)
  • 8-channel recorder: 1 slot (pre-installed: 1 × 2000 GB)
  • 16-channel recorder: 2 slots (pre-installed: 1 × 4000 GB)
  • 32-channel recorder: 4 slots (pre-installed: 1 × 8000 GB)
  • 64-channel recorder: 8 slots (pre-installed: 2 × 8000 GB)

What you'll need

  • A crosshead screwdriver.
  • A new hard drive.

You can purchase a new hard drive directly from Bascom or any other vendor, as long as it has a 3.5 inch SATA connection and a maximum capacity of 8 TB. We recommend choosing a drive designed for heavy workloads, such as WD Purple or similar models.

Step 1: add or replace the hard drive

Replacing the hard drive in 4- and 8-channel recorders
  1. Use the power button to turn off the recorder, then disconnect all cables.
  2. Unscrew the three screws on the back and the screw on each side of the recorder that secure the top panel, then carefully remove it to reveal the internal components.r4x-remove-cover-min.jpg
  3. Unscrew the four screws securing the drive to the bottom of the recorder.r4x-unscrew-hdd-min.jpg
  4. Carefully slide the drive out of its connector on the side of the motherboard.r4x-slide-hdd-min.jpg
  5. Align the new drive with the connector on the motherboard and gently slide it into place.
  6. Secure the drive to the bottom of the recorder using the four screws removed earlier.
  7. Reattach the top panel and secure it with the screws removed in step 2.
Add or replace hard drives in the 16-channel recorder
  1. Use the power button to turn off the recorder, then disconnect all cables.
  2. Unscrew the four screws on the back and the two screws on each side of the recorder that secure the top panel, then carefully remove it to reveal the internal components.
  3. Add or replace any hard drives:
    • Hard drives are secured to the bottom of the recorder with four screws.
    • Hard drives are connected to the motherboard with a data and a power cable.
Add or replace hard drives in the 32-channel recorder
  1. Use the power button to turn off the recorder, then disconnect all cables.
  2. Unscrew the three screws on the back of the recorder securing the top panel, then carefully remove it to reveal the internal components.
  3. Add or replace any hard drives:
    • Hard drives are mounted between two metal brackets and secured with four screws on their sides. The brackets are then attached to the bottom of the recorder with an additional four screws.
    • Hard drives are connected to the motherboard with a data and a power cable.
Add or replace hard drives in the 64-channel recorder
  1. Use the power button to turn off the recorder, then disconnect all cables.
  2. Unscrew the two screws on the back of the recorder securing the top panel, then carefully remove it to reveal the internal components.
  3. The hard drives are mounted on a two-level rack:
    • Remove the middle screw to lift open the top rack.
    • Remove the support pin to lift open the bottom rack. Gently push the sides of the recorder outward to clear the supports and fully open the bottom rack.
  4. Add or replace any hard drives:
    • Hard drives are secured to the rack with 4 screws.
    • Hard drives are connected to the motherboard with a data and a power cable.

Step 2: format the hard drive

After installation, you'll need to format the new drive before using it. This will erase all data and set up a file system that the recorder can use to store and access files.

Use the recorder (with a monitor and mouse)
  1. Move your cursor to the bottom edge of the screen to reveal the menu bar.
  2. In the bottom-left corner, click the menu icon  .
  3. Click Settings and unlock the recorder if prompted. 
  4. Go to HDD > Disk.
  5. Select the hard drive you want to format.
  6. Click Format HDD.
  7. Authenticate with your password when prompted.
Use the PC software
  1. At the top of the application window, click the recorder settings icon  .
  2. Go to Storage > Storage.
  3. Select the hard drive you want to format.
  4. Click Format Hard Disk.
  5. Authenticate with your password when prompted.
Use the smartphone App
  1. Tap the menu icon  .
  2. Go to Recorder settings and select your recorder.
  3. Depending on your recorder type, to go:
    • HDD, or
    • Storage > HDD > HDD.
  4. Click Format for the hard drive you want to format.
  5. Authenticate with your password when prompted.
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